1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric discharge recording material, and more particularly, to a reusable multilayer electrosensitive transfer film or sheet suitable for use in recording a pattern or image on a receiving sheet by means of electric discharge recording systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, various systems have been proposed for the rapid transmission and/or recording of information. One such system is an electric discharge recording system.
The electric discharge recording system is a process which comprises applying an electrical signal of several hundred volts and several watts in the form of an electric voltage, and breaking a semiconductive recording layer on the surface of a recording layer by electric discharge, thereby to form an image on the recording layer or on a substrate superimposed on the recording layer. This process is a "direct imaging" process which does not require processing operations such as development and fixation, and is in widespread use as a simple recording process. For example, the process finds applications in fascimile systems, various measuring instruments, recording meters, record displays in computers, and processing of electrostencil master sheets.
In the electric discharge recording, a discharge recording stylus is directly contacted with the recording surface of an electric discharge recording material. Discharging is performed through the stylus to break the recording layer, and to form an image on the recording surface.
A more recent development is disclosed by Nakano et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,163,075 and relates to an electric discharge recording material, and more particularly, to a multilayer electrosensitive transfer sheet or film. To record with this type of film, it is laid over an untreated sheet of a receiving medium, which can be in the form of a receiving medium, such as paper, and an electric discharge stylus is moved in a regular pattern across the back of the transfer film. Provision is generally made to ground either one edge or the front surface of the transfer film. When a voltage on the order of 150 to 200 volts is applied to the stylus, current flows through the sheet and matter is caused to be transferred to the receiving sheet, e.g., paper.
The film disclosed by Nakano et al in U.S. Pat No. 4,163,075, comprises three layers, namely a film support layer and two transfer layers. The support layer is composed of a metal powder-containing resin layer, e.g., electrolytic copper powder having an average diameter of 2 microns dispersed in a vinyl chloride resin.
Numerous disadvantages appear to exist with the use of the products disclosed in the Nakano et al patent. A need therefore exists for a transfer sheet exhibiting improved image quality that can be produced at a lower cost compared to other commercially available products.